Manhunt for Lexington County shooting suspect ends with arrest in Charlotte, cops say
A manhunt that spanned across South Carolina ended Wednesday when law enforcement officers arrested a shooting suspect in North Carolina, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said.
The search for Jamel Lamont Higgs finished when the suspect accused of attempted murder, among other crimes, was apprehended at an apartment complex in Charlotte, the sheriff’s department said on Twitter.
A tip helped members of the U.S. Marshals Service track down the the 33-year-old West Columbia man, who was also wanted by sheriff’s deputies and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents.
On Dec. 3, Higgs shot a man multiple times following an argument at a Gaston mobile home park, Sheriff Jay Koon said in a news release.
“Higgs has been on the run since he fled the scene of the shooting,” Koon said in the release.
Since then, multiple law enforcement agencies searched for Higgs in four counties, according to the release.
He’s facing charges of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a violent felony, according to the release.
The sheriff’s department did not say if Higgs was being extradited back to Lexington County.
Information on what Higgs and the other man were arguing about was not available.
There was no word on the other man’s condition.
Higgs pleaded guilty to armed robbery and kidnapping charges from a 2006 incident, Richland County court records show. He was convicted to 12 years behind bars, according to the court records.
This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 8:16 AM.
